Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Reading78. Read the following books:• One Twilight book• Memoirs of a Geisha• Catcher in the Rye• Gone With the Wind• Bridge to Teribithia

Haley gave me her copy of Memoirs of a Geisha and I've positively torn through it, figuratively speaking, of course. I've already read over half of it in one day and would have probably finished it in a day if I hadn't been baby-sitting. I love the book, but I still love the movie for what it is. It's impossible to put everything in the book into an already helluva long movie.

But yes, I can has the pleased with my new book. It won't replace The Devil Wears Prada as my favorite fun-reading book, but I'm really loving this whole time warp to 1930's Japan. It's like a whole other world.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

I tried Wendy's mushroom swiss burger the other day, but I'm not entirely sure it counts. :-/ Granted, I usually have my DQ mushroom swiss burger with just meat, mushrooms, and cheese. This burger had everything advertised: meat, mushrooms, cheese, tomato, lettuce, bacon, and some kind of sauce.

All-in-all, it wasn't bad. I like Dairy Queen's better, but this one was a nice substitute. I didn't have high hopes for the bacon, but it worked out really well. What threw me off was the cold contrast of the tomato and lettuce as compared to the warmth of the meats and mushrooms.

If I don't try anything else this month, this will be my new food. I did branch out in my (rare) fast food cuisine, which I rarely do. It was different, and I didn't alter the advertised trimmings (only because it didn't have mayo or onions... I will not eat those on my burger).

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Do Unto Others22. Handcraft 2+ items as Christmas gifts each year (1/6)

It's almost done! If I would just SIT and finish it, it would be done in a night.

Pets67. Leash-train Jack and Jasper

Well, Jack was the only one who got to "walk" on a leash in a new environment. He walked out of the transport cage and in a small circle so the vet could examine him. Then came the traumatic neutering process. O_o We won't go into that, though.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

I need to just do these and get them over with. Honestly, they're not THAT hard. You point the camera at something and take a picture. End of story. Alas, yon ADD, I know thee well... for I am easily distracted. ^_~ lol

Do Unto Others22. Handcraft 2+ items as Christmas gifts each year (1/6)

I really need to finish that scarf for Oaksy...

Family33. Spend the day shopping with Karen

We might do this during the upcoming weekend. There's Christmas shopping to be done! We'll see if it happens, though.

Pets67. Leash-train Jack and Jasper

They have their first "real test" this week when I take them to the vet. They've outgrown their transporting cage, so they will have to ride in the "cannot leave the truck" cage and be walked into the vet's office. Wish my boys luck!

68. Breed Zoe and Frank

Frank is no longer rutting (thank God). Zoe still doesn't appear pregnant. Larry worries Frank is infertile. At first he suggested Zoe was, but considering she's got Jack and Jasper... But like I've read, it's hard to tell until right before they pop. I'll wait until February or so before I give up.

Related to Stories82. Complete at least one book in the Jade trilogy

I'm going to try my best to put real effort into writing on this story. I have the prologue mostly edited. There's still kinks, but it's something, right? I've also worked out a better first chapter. Hopefully, it will work out as well as I hope it will.

Replacement Goal #101No idea. I would like to have this slot filled before the new year, but so far I can't come up with anything. :-/ I have plenty of other goals to keep me occupied right now, so I haven't given it much thought at all. Oh well, we shall see.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Over the weekend, one of my personal goals became somewhat on the null and void side. Technically, I could still do it, but it's at a point where it would be pointless to do so. I'm going to have to replace it with a different goal... what, I'm not sure just yet, but hopefully I'll come up with something.

It's not really a bad thing per say that this goal is no longer valid, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't disappointing.

Do Unto Others24. Sponsor a kid off an Angel Tree for two Christmases (0/2)

When I made my list, I'd hoped to have a job by now. Even if the bank called me today, said I had a job, and I started tomorrow , by the time I finally got paid, it would be too late to meet the deadline. With all the expenses lately, I couldn't get my sponsored child anything nice anyway... Dollar Store Delights wasn't what I had in mind. :-/

*sighs* I'm not sure what to do about this one. Do I wait until next Christmas and sponsor two kids? Or do I chalk this one up to failure? I dunno... thoughts?

Edit: It was pointed out to me that my dates for my 101 fall so that three Christmases will pass before my deadline. Yay! I still have a chance! It was also suggested to me that if I'm still unable to spend money, in lieu of Angel Tree gifts, I should donate x-amount of time to a charity or shelter during the holiday season. :-) That works, too.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Jack is FINALLY responding to training! *faints... like a goat* Today he actually walked from the pen and to where I wanted him to go with minimal distractions or stopping. I was so pleased with him!!!

Satisfying Nerdom87. Send 3 secrets to Post Secret (0/3)

I have a postcard I want to draw upon and submit. Only thing is to get myself to do it and send it in.

Shits & Giggles91. Read a trashy romance novel all the way through

I've been shopping at Goodwill for a trashy romance novel. Apparently, the 20 or so middle-aged housewives that are always lurking near the books have beat me to them all. O_o

Thursday, November 20, 2008

I've changed my goal to this because I now have a workout group. I won't be attending this week, but I figure several hours of vigorous house cleaning was a decent substitute.

Personal Upgrades61. Get a cushy state job

I'm still sending in applications like crazy. Still no go. I do have a job interview today at a bank, so it's something. At least with a teensy bit of cash flow of my own, I can put it towards some of my other goals (i.e. the "Love My Larry" category).

Friday, November 14, 2008

Food and Health41. Do workout DVD exercises three times a week for two weeks (or play DDR for 30 minutes a day)

Actually, I've started working out with Larry, his Shaolin instructor Greg, their friend Kevin, and Kevin's two teenage neighbors. We work out about two hours once a week doing a revised version of 8 Minute Abs (Larry, Greg, and Kev pretty much have it memorized), a long list of other exercises (sit ups, push ups, stretches, squats, crunches), along with some weight lifting (yay for 5 pound weights!), Shaolin, and--my personal favorite--some tai chi!

So while it isn't quite what I had in mind, it's still a regular work-out schedule. I've been twice, so hopefully we'll keep it up for a little while. If not, I'll find something else to do.

Love My Larry51. Find an activity we can do together and do it often (craft, game, sport, whatever)

I'm going to see if I can't at least start these tomorrow... or at least one of them.

Food and Health40. Try a new recipe and/or food every month (3/143)

Today I tried this crazy concoction that was like peanut butter candy with chocolate fudge on top of it... topped with walnuts. It was supposed to be like a Reese Cup cake thing. *shrugs* It was pretty good, but mostly it tasted like the two candies put together than a Reese Cup.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Bleah, I am accomplishing nothing. I'm working on Oaksy's scarf, and that's been pretty much it. Jasper is doing well with leash training, though. He hardly needs any prompting now. Jack, on the other hand...

Confidence building is going nowhere.

I'm a rather discouraged Jan right about now, but it'll get better. I need to focus on goals I can get done and just do them, like my photography challenges. That will make me feel better.

Monday, October 20, 2008

I haven't accomplished much at all this last week. Well, it hasn't felt like I have, anyway. I figure it's time to sit down and plot some things to do this brand new week and see how I fare. Plans are usually a good thing.

Confidence Building8. Be more open about being bisexual (lose this lingering shame I was taught growing up)

I'd thought about doing a series of posts on LJ, just talking about how I knew growing up, my feelings on being told such a thing was an abomination, etc. I'll keep it behind an LJ-cut, so it won't be mandatory reading for anyone. It'll just be there in case someone wants to know.

Honestly, just typing the above paragraph was hard for me. I have a feeling this idea will take a very long time to carry out, which I guess is the point. You can't make yourself comfortable with such a thing overnight. Time is the key.

I've been thinking about getting these two done and out of the way (linkage above). The 100 Challenge will be fun because it's such a big list of thing to photograph! I copied the list and alphabetized it to make it easier, though.

Pets68. Breed Zoe and Frank

Frank has recently began to "rut," which is normal for goats in the fall. It means Zoe has come into season for sure. He's urinating all over himself and being rather aggressive. He takes great pleasure in knocking me down by side-swiping me on a steep hill. *glares* This behavior can last between a few days, a few weeks, or up to two months.

Either way, the goal here is to get him to successfully knock up Zoe so we will have baby pygmy goats. Not much I can really do to help in this department, though. (Have you ever seen little baby pygmy goats? Look them up on YouTube. You don't even need sound to see how precious and little they are!)

Related to Stories82. Complete at least one book in the Jade trilogy

Yesterday, I had an epiphany. Now to put this new idea to work... and completely toss out everything I'd already written for the first book. :-/

I guess that's plenty to think and work on this week, don't you? *nods* Now to get my ghetto booty in gear and get-r-do!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Jasper is taking to leash training far better than Jack is. He gets all excited like a puppy when you pep-talk him. I'm thinking of taking him for his first "walk" sometime this week. Then again, there's an awful lot of maple leaves in the yard right now...

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Four-cheese mashed potatoes rock, just so you know. I tried them first strictly by the directions (they were instant, I admit, but still new to me!), then I added additional milk to them to make them creamier. Very yummy!

I know, kind of bad both of my goal achievements were mashed potato related, but that's my first "new" this month. I have other recipes and things to try, too, but life's been pretty difficult lately. I wanted to make sure I got my goal in as quickly as I could before the month was up. But seriously, I could eat a whole pot of this stuff in a sitting if I thought it was good for me to do so. ^_~

Bleah... back to my drama-filled life.

Edited to Add: Today I ate Philly cheese steak Hamburger Helper topped with sour cream! That was definitely new and not related to the potato family. ^_~

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Larry saw me "walk" the goats earlier back to their pen. He thought it was funny how they walk like puppies on a line. Only thing is, going TO the pen is the easy part. They're filled up with food. Getting them OUT is still a hassle. They want to eat everything along the way. :-/

Next week, I plan on taking them on a longer walk than just to and from the pen and goat line. I want to walk them down the driveway a little ways. We'll see how it goes. I started this goal early for a reason. ^_~

Monday, October 6, 2008

During the Apple Festival, I ate some weird named food that said "taco in a bag" below it. I was hungry, the fajita place was closed, so I tried one. Basically, they opened a fun-sized bag of Doritos and dumped hamburger and nacho cheese on it. It was good, but I doubt it counts as a "new recipe and/or food." I was expecting something... different, I guess. Not nachos a la Doritos.

Oh well, the month is still new! We still need to go shopping and there's lots of time to try new things.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Confidence Building8. Be more open about being bisexual (lose this lingering shame I was taught growing up)

Katy Perry's song is a great way to open the topic up, even if in a vague way. It's a small start, but a start nonetheless. :-) It rattled my nerves a bit, but it went well. Very brief, then it was over.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Cleaning and Organizing3. Get film that’s laid around for years developed

Yeah, that was a huge waste of money. Seriously... it turned out one of those rolls wasn't even mine. It belonged to my ex, from the choir tour I didn't go on. The second roll was 95% of either him or some other person(s) I didn't want pictures of. The third roll was--as expected--of Jordan's wedding. I might keep one picture out of the entire batch.

And there wasn't a single picture of my friend that I was hoping to have pictures of. Oh well, such is life.

Well, now I've got that goal out of the way, but I feel like I've been robbed. I could have put that money towards something useful... like the yarn sale they were having at Wal-Mart. *rolls eyes* Seriously, Lion Brand wool was $3.50 a skein, and Carron Simply Soft was $1.50. But where did my money go? Towards pictures of my ex and his "friends."

Mostly, I'm just pissed I had to see his face again, and in far more abundance that I was prepared for. Oh well, now the trash people can look at him. It's where he belongs, anyway.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Cleaning and Organizing3. Get film that’s laid around for years developed

I'm thinking of doing this one day this week. I know I will be in town anyway for Apple Festival, so I may as well drop the film off... Haley's suggestion of contacting Jordan and his wife to see if they would like the pictures encourages me a bit. I'd rather they go to a good home than sit here at the house in a box somewhere.

I'll send them the wedding ones and any "undesirables" will mysteriously disappear.

Cleaning and Organizing2. Clean my car, inside and out

I still need to vacuum my car out. The giant shop vac, though, is in dire need of being emptied. After all the crap we cleaned up with it once we moved in... *shudders* I'll need Larry's help just to lift the thing.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

One of my biggest things with making my 101 goals is knowing there are some goals that need to be met, but I just don't want to do/face them. Sometimes, I'm an emotional coward.

Cleaning and Organizing3. Get film that’s laid around for years developed

I've got about three disposable cameras that need developed... maybe more. However, I only have a vague idea what's on them. One I know is mostly of Jordan Crabtree's wedding... a wedding of two people I'd never met before that day, nor have I seen since. Yet I think I know people who would give said pictures a good home. *looks around* Any takers?

Another one (or two?) is from Choir Tour... Texas, I think? I don't remember. I'm sure I took some interesting pictures of stuff, though, especially while at the Alamo. Total disappointment, but we made do.

Mostly, I just don't want to see certain people (read: a certain someone) who were once part of my life in that time frame. It was bad enough getting rid of all reminders/photos/etc. once before. I'd rather not do it again. But alas, the garbage must be sorted to find the treasures hidden within.

I'm hoping that I have pictures of a different someone who was once in my life, however. If I do have any pictures, they'd be on one of those rolls of film. I don't remember if I took any or not, though. There's only one way to find out.

But yeah, this is my first Dreaded Goal I'm thinking of tackling. All things considered, it's not THAT bad. I just need to find a new way to look at this and stop focusing on the dread.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Above is the link to my post on ADiML. I also posted 60 of the pictures on Facebook. :-D It's not much, but neither is a day in the life of Jan.

Enjoy!

Don't bother clicking... they took my post down because apparently, I miscounted my copy/pastes and only posted 69, not 70. They didn't even tell me. Someone in the community posted on my journal and told me because s/he didn't get to comment on my post.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Tomorrow will be a good day to do this. I've got interesting errands to run and lots of goat-type things to do. There should also be minimal drama going on, but as with all things related to me and mine, you can't make such promises.

Do Unto Others22. Handcraft 2+ items as Christmas gifts each year (0/6)

Larry and I have decided to make the adult female relatives of his family scarves for Christmas. Technically, I'll be making six total this Christmas, but my goal is for 2+ items EACH Christmas.

But yeah, we bought a metric ton of chunky-weight yarn. I'm also doing one (a Gryffindor scarf) for his friend Oaksy.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Leash training is going more smoothly. They don't buck and stall like they used to. Now if only they'd stop getting distracted by food... but when you're a goat, everything is food. This will be difficult.

Oh well, there's still plenty of time. I'm glad Zoe and Frank weren't heard to teach. Frank is still a bit difficult at times, but Zoe is awesome on a leash... unless there's food involved.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Today I did something that--for some weird reason--I swore I'd never do. I don't know if I was traumatized as a kid by it and forgot in my horror or what... but today, I had no choice but to do it.

I made mashed potatoes with cream of chicken.

I was out of butter. Like, completely and totally out, and I'd already mixed the potatoes up. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. Okay, it wasn't THAT bad, but it's been a bad day and I'm prone to panics after a long bad day.

After getting reassurance from Larry (who seemed thrilled at the idea), I put 1/4 of a can of the soup in my potatoes, stirred, added more flakes, stirred again... and it was divine. I mean, I think Jesus eats this stuff up in heaven. He probably puts a spoon of sour cream in it, though...

I have no idea why I was so opposed to the idea before. The idea repulsed me before. Then again, I've eaten stranger potatoes. Adam and Gina put a spoonful of mayo in theirs, and they're awesome.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

My Hotmail has now been cleaned out. I save a lot of old emails there, especially when I get interesting ones from this Yahoo group I'm in that sends out articles on child abuse. I had 10 pages worth of those alone. I now only have 7. ^_^

Sunday, September 7, 2008

My Gmail is down from nearly 200 emails to a mere 39. Most of those were saved because I'm too lazy to bookmark the links Haley sent me. ^_^

I'm still pretty nervous about some of my goals. Getting the easy ones off the list makes me feel pretty spiffy, but then I look at some of my goals (like get #61. Get a cushy state job) really get me worried, even though I've got lots of time.

Hmmm, I need a ticker to countdown until my goal time is over. That should help me realize that I've still got lots of time to work at my bigger goals.

Preparation77. Begin serious plotting future offspring

Due to recent drama in the family, the subject of offspring has came up a few times. I won't mark this as "in progress" just yet, but it's scraping at the iceberg.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

I am doing a very happy dance right now. I got to knock two things off in one day! And because I have done both of these, I have unlocked "Endless Mode." I have no idea what it is, but it sounds hard. I will try this at a later date. Today, I am far too tired.

This one song I had to do was super slow. It was a royal pain to complete. I finally upped my score from a D to a B and now all my scores are a B or better. ^_^ Yay!

Monday, September 1, 2008

I tried to book Hannah Montana to sing the national anthem and the Jonas *cough*emo*cough* Brothers for the halftime show, but alas... no luck. So my 101 in 1001 kickoff will have to begin with a simple tossing of confetti.

*tosses confetti*

I've began making small progress on my list today. Here's what's gone on so far:

101 in 10011) Made my weekly blog! I know... easy one.

Do Unto Others22) Began plotting Christmas gifts for people. I have three scarves and a shawl planned so far.23) Still growing my hair for Locks of Love. I have not spontaneously decided to wack it off again. Again, easy one.26) Spoke to Gina via email about art commission. She refuses to charge me, but I'll make a donation anyway... 'cause artists need paid. :-D

Food and Health40) Began confidence building by creating my own recipe last night. I had broccoli and cheddar rice with diced tomatoes and ranch dressing. Very yummy! Next time, I'll use either less ranch or substitute in sour cream.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Lion Brand is doing their first Crochet Along with a sampler blanket, which is a pattern Haley has already given me! :-D This makes me very, very happy.

I also got a packet of flower seeds in the mail, so I now have more than enough seeds to begin my flower garden. Wal-Mart also has lots of adorable pots on sale. They look like buckets in various pastel colors, and I went nuts for them. I generally reserve my "please please can I get it" for yarn, but this once, I will let it slip for a non-yarn item. ^_^

There was also an awesome PSA on the radio the other day with tips for items to have in your car's emergency kit. This particular tip was for some canned good that re-inflates the tire and temporarily seals it long enough to find a gas station. I thought this was a very nifty idea and have made a mental note to get those for our kits.

My official start date is September 1, 2008 and my ending date will be May 30, 2011. I am very, very excited!

Today, I learned Purple Levels are NOT expert levels. They are "omgwtfbbq were they thinking?!" levels. My screen exploded with arrows going in every single direction. The big blue "GAME OVER" appeared within seconds. I think it was because my jaw was pressing the up arrow on my dance pad.

Methinks I have my work cut out for me. :-/ The other day, I successfully completed "Afronova," which is a Gold Level, 200 bps tune and thus the fastest song on the entire Beginners Mode. I've completed it with either an A or a B. The best you can get is AA, I think.

I could do "Afronova" and pass it on the first try with 200 bps (whatever THAT means, besides fast). I could not beat a 130 bps Purple Level.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Janne's Rules1) Due to the frequency of drastic and unexpected changes in my life, I reserve the right to alter my goals as needed under extreme circumstances.2) For every incomplete goal, I will donate $5 to a charity... or multiple charities, depending on how many goals I miss. ^_~

CompletedIn Progress

101 in 10011. Make weekly blog entries for progress (54/143)

Cleaning and Organizing2. Clean my car, inside and out3. Get film that’s laid around for years developed4. Print up special digital pictures5. Organize all photos and place in a photo album or scrapbook6. Clean out email inboxes (2/2)7. Wash dishes once a week for two months (8/8)

Confidence Building8. Be more open about being bisexual (lose this lingering shame I was taught growing up)9. Wear a bikini outside (beach, pool, lake, etc.) -- Bikini bought 4/2910. List as many great life accomplishments I’ve made as I can think of with an explanation as to why they’re great.

Do Unto Others21. Make 10 hats for Knots of Love (0/10)22. Handcraft 2+ items as Christmas gifts each year (2/6)23. Donate hair to Locks of Love24. Sponsor a kid off an Angel Tree for two Christmases (0/2)25. Write 5 letters to teachers who inspired me, telling them so (0/5)26. Commission Gina to do a picture for me27. Make a photo album of grandkids for Karen28. Visit elderly in a nursing home (“adopt a grandparent”)

Education29. Learn to shoot a shot gun30. Learn how to change a tire31. Learn how to use Photoshop32. Learn how to use Poser

Family33. Spend the day shopping with Karen34. Have another slumber party with Chrissy35. Take Chrissy on a “Cool Girl Club” outing36. Visit my mom for a weekend37. Arrange a visit/outing with Ron and Jeff38. Burn CDs for Ron and Jeff39. Call Papa once every two weeks

Food and Health40. Try a new recipe and/or food every month (12/143)41. Find a workout routine and do it once a week.42. Compile a book of recipes that I have collected, created, or were gifts43. Give up caffeine for 2 weeks (0/14)44. No internet on Wednesday for 2 months (0/8)

Friends45. Call or email (two paragraphs of 4+ sentences each) any two friends once every week for two months (0/16)46. Send each close friend a handcrafted item (2/5)47. Arrange for a girls night (at home or in public as long as we spend time together)48. Create/send 5 care packages for friends (0/5)

Love My Larry49. Take Larry on a surprise date that I will pay for50. Make sure his 27th 28th birthday is the best one he’s ever had51. Find an activity we can do together and do it often (craft, game, sport, whatever)52. Save up enough money to take Larry to Pigeon Forge for a weekend53. Create a list of 1001 reasons why he makes me so happy… just to remind him :-)

Moving54. Find a new home near new job, preferably a farm55. Be reasonably unpacked within 2 weeks56. Make at least one new friend within walking distance from the new home

Outdoors57. Plant flowers in a flowerbed and/or in hanging flower pots from the porch58. Plat a small garden with at least three different fruits and/or vegetables59. Set up a bird feeder and a humming bird feeder

Personal Upgrades60. Buy clothes suitable for an office work environment61. Get a cushy state job62. Buy 6 matching sets of pretty bras and panties (2/6)63. Buy a new little black dress64. Wear my hair down for one week (7/7)65. Completely restock makeup box and throw away old stuff

Pets66. Complete Cringer and Karl’s notebooks of records and pictures67. Leash-train Jack and Jasper68. Breed Zoe and Frank69. Supervise Zoe as she delivers her kids70. Rescue a dog from a shelter

Political / Getting Involved71. Participate in a protest72. Write a letter(s) to a government official(s) about a cause(s) I feel strongly about.73. Attend a LGBT event74. Write an article or “fiction piece” on a topic of concern for a teen magazine (eating disorders, LGBT issues, abuse, etc.)

Preparation75. Create emergency kits for all of our vehicles and for the home76. Research horse ownership and care77. Begin serious plotting future offspring

Reading78. Read the following books: • One Twilight book • Memoirs of a Geisha • Catcher in the Rye • Gone With the Wind • Bridge to Terabithia79. Read 5 banned books I haven’t already read (0/5)80. Go to the library and select 5 random books I normally wouldn’t read and complete them (0/5)

Related to Stories81. Begin “The Next Great Appalachian Novel”82. Complete at least one book in the Jade trilogy83. Learn about and begin the process of getting books published

Satisfying Nerdom84. Successfully unlock every song on DDR Max 2 in beginner’s mode85. Improve DDR Max 2 scores in beginner’s mode to a B score or better86. Successfully complete all Final Fantasies I own and never beat the end bosses… (0/3)87. Send 3 secrets to Post Secret (0/3)88. Leave 3 “inspirational secrets” in a public place (0/3)89. Place tags on all of my old journal entries including LJ and Xanga

Shits & Giggles90. Defeat Adam at DDR91. Read a trashy romance novel all the way through -- Finished Savage Thunder 9-1392. Try a glass of wine93. Take Larry on a tour of Harlan and show him where I grew up94. Sing a goofy Broadway or other tune for three different people (0/3)95. Make and sell 5 items on Etsy (0/5) -- Soap/washcloth set? 7-27-09

Travel96. Visit Adam and Gina in Franklin97. Visit Haley and Justin in Huntington98. Visit Connie wherever she's living at the time99. Visit EdwArd in Louisville